What Are the Deadlines for Reporting the Midterm Election Results?
Our elections are built to give you reliable, accurate results as quickly as the law allows, and not one minute faster than getting them right will allow. So, let's walk through why the results take a few days, and why that wait is actually good news.
Nov. 3: Midterm election
Nov. 5: Official Canvass Begins - The California Code requires that the official canvass of the precinct returns begin no later than Thursday following the election. The canvass shall be open to the public and shall result in a report of Statement of Votes Cast to the Secretary of State.
Dec. 3 (date is approximate): County must Certify the Election, meaning the tally of votes is complete. This must be completed no later than 30 days following Election Day per California state law.
Dec. 11: Once all 58 counties have formally certified their results, the Secretary of State’s Office has 38 days from the election to issue a final statewide certification. For the 2026 general election, that falls on Dec. 11.
